www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I September 2024 21
Feature
Air-cooled systems have increasingly taken over the HVAC space , particularly in South Africa . Unless dealing with very large systems that require water-cooled chillers , the majority of medium-sized HVAC projects now utilise air-cooled solutions . Cooling towers remain vital in large industrial processes but are no longer as prevalent in HVAC applications .
Cooling towers are essential for water cooling applications . They primarily serve as a means to reject or transfer heat , making them fundamental in various industrial refrigeration and HVAC processes . Historically , cooling towers started as simple spray fountains and have since evolved into more sophisticated systems .
Globally the market features numerous manufacturers . In South Africa , competition for cooling towers comes from several companies , with Baltimore Aircoil Company ( BAC ), Evapco and IWC being the among larger local suppliers . These manufacturers can also focus on different or specific types of cooling tower markets from large field-erected systems , typically for power stations or factory assembled packaged type units for smaller processes .
The cooling tower industry has come a long way since its early days when most systems were custom-built and field-erected rather than factory manufactured . Companies like Evapco and BAC , which started in the mid-20th century , were among the first to manufacture factory-assembled cooling towers . Over the years , these companies have expanded their product lines to include a variety of cooling solutions , adapting to changing market demands and technological advancements . They are used in a wide variety of applications and vary from virtually trashbin size to that required for a power station .
“ Cooling tower technology has not advanced at the same rapid pace as electronics or other high-tech fields . The fundamental principles of physics and natural laws limit how much these systems can be improved . For instance , water can
Supplied by BAC .
BAC FXVE evaporative cooling towers .
never evaporate at dew point , and increasing the size of a cooling tower infinitely will never achieve this . Consequently , significant innovations in cooling towers have focused more on enhancing environmental responsibility , such as developing hybrid products and dry cooling solutions ,” explains Andre van der Merwe , managing director of Evapco South Africa .
While cooling towers remain vital for larger systems that require water-cooled chillers and are still highly efficient from an energy consumption standpoint , in the HVAC space they have become less common , especially in water-scarce regions like South Africa . Air-cooled systems have increasingly dominated the market , particularly for medium-sized projects .
In 1982 , Evapco took its first step towards global expansion by establishing its presence in South Africa , he explains . Over the years , Evapco has strategically diversified its product portfolio , evolving from a company solely focused on evaporative cooling products such as cooling towers , evaporative condensers , and fluid coolers , to offering a complete full spectrum range of wet , dry and hybrid products . Moreover , the company has ventured
www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I September 2024 21